Humble Pie

We have a good friend who works at our local Christian radio station. We love to hear her cheerful voice on the radio and always listen in when Ann is speaking.

So today, as we piled in the car and drove from guitar lesson to the grocery store, we turned up the radio and let Ann's voice fill our car.

I was particularly interested in what she was saying. She was relating to listeners a story about how her oldest child had once showed his anger by sitting outside and refusing to come in for dinner or bedtime. Of couse, as we all know, toddlers rarely stay angry for long and are often ruled by their stomachs. So the errant child quickly came in and resolved his differences with mom.

But then Ann began to share about a friend who's son showed some of the same tendencies and decided to nonverbally declare his opinion. I know several of Ann's friends and figured I might know who she was talking about. But even if I didn't, I still was anxious to hear about this stubborn child and to feel a little less lonely in my own struggle with stubborn children.

As Ann told the story, I listened carefully, waiting to have a good chuckle. She described a little boy who was angry with his mom. A little boy who chose to show his anger by ... PEEING on his mother! {Gasp!!!}

Imagine my shock!

It wasn't shock over what you think. Yes, it's horrible that a child would willfully pee on their parent to vent some anger. But my shock was that it was MY child that Ann was referring to!!!

You see, a year or so ago, just after potty training our youngest, he went through a (thankfully) very short phase of peeing on me when he was angry. You could actually see his body tense up as he forced himself to empty his bladder. Yes, you could see it coming, but never be quick enough to escape it. And I was the only lucky beneficiary of said behavior. Yuck.

I had a hearty laugh as I remembered that particular streak of subbornness in my child. And I had a bit of humility forced upon me as well. Here I was, all ready to laugh at someone else's expense, and instead the tables are turned. At least I'm glad people are enjoying the struggles I've gone through in raising this particularly ornery child! Oh my, how he enriches my life!

So thanks Ann, for the reminder of something that I really shouldn't forget (I'll make sure he knows that he deserves every ornery act that his children someday dish out!), and for the laugh from days gone by.

If you make a mom a bookcase ...

If you make a mom a bookcase ...
She'll need to clear a space for it.

And if she needs to clear a space for it ...
She'll realize the carpet looks dingy.

If she realizes the carpet looks dingy ...
She will have to clean the carpet.

And if she's cleaning one carpet ...
She might as well clean them all!

If the carpets are going to get cleaned ...
The walls should be washed.

If the walls are getting washed ...
The dusting should be done.

To accomplish the dusting ...
The clutter must be decluttered.

For the clutter to vanish ...
Mom will need a new bookcase.


Happy fall cleaning week to us! (And thanks, honey, for the bookcase.)

Pumpkin Goodness!

It's pumpkin season and I've decided to try cooking and freezing my own pumpkins this year. It adds such richness to any pumpkin recipe to have it fresh instead of using the canned stuff.


To cook a pumpkin:
1. Buy pie or cooking pumpkins. These are generally smaller and can be found at veggie stands and in some grocery stores.
2. Slice the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds.


3. Place the pumpkin halves peel-side up in a baking dish and add about a 1/2 inch of water.
4. Cook the pumpkin in the oven at 450 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.
5. Once out of the oven, scoop the meat out of the pumpkin and place in a blender or food processor.
6. Blend until smooth.
7. Pumpkin freezes well or can be kept in the fridge for about 5 days. {I had planned to can pumpkin, but read that it's not recommended since pumpkin has a lower acidity level and bacteria can grow even after canning. However, I'm not 100% certain on that, so do your own research!}

I've had several people request the recipe I use for pumpkin cookies, so here it is. This is a recipe from Josh's Grandma and is a favorite amongst all Brumbaugh men!

Pumpkin Cookies:
1C shortening
1C pumpkin
1C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream these first five ingredients together until smooth.

Add:
2C flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix well and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. These should come out soft!

Once the cookies are cooled, make the frosting.
Frosting:
3 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp milk
1/2C brown sugar

Boil these three for two minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Then add 1C powdered sugar.

This should be slightly runny - not like normal frosting. Frost cookies and enjoy!


Of course, no pumpkin blog would be complete without a great pumpkin soup recipe. This soup really gets it's greatness from using fresh pumpkin, so if you have it on hand, I highly recommend it!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup: (Serves 8) prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min.
Ingredients:
1 ½ Medium Onion Chopped 3 Cans Chicken Broth
3 Tablespoons Butter 2 ½ Cups Sliced Peeled Potatoes
2 ½ Cups Canned Cooked Pumpkin 2 ½ Cups Milk
¾ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg ¾ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Pepper 1 ½ Cups Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley 4 Bacon Strips, cooked & crumbled

In a large saucepan, sauté onion in butter until tender.
Add the broth, potatoes and pumpkin; cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat; cool.
Puree half of the mixture at a time in a blender or food processor until smooth; return all to the pan.
Add the milk nutmeg, salt and pepper; heat through.
Meanwhile, combine the sour cream and parsley.
Spoon soup into bowls; top each with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with bacon.


Happy Pumpkin Eating!!!

Versatile Blogger Award!

A dear friend of mine, Kristi, recently awarded me and some other ladies with the "Versatile Blog" award. It was a shocker and I'm pleased to accept the award and pass it on to a few other deserving bloggers. It's nice to be noticed, and I hope you'll take the time to look up these other great blogs. There are a few rules about accepting the award.



#1 If you had to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?


I would have learned how to cook before getting married. I'm sure my mom tried to show me how, but I really had no interest and am not sure I ever made a whole meal before getting married. Thankfully, my husband is patient and has taught me much in the kitchen!




#2 Choose four people for this award and then inform them of the nomination.




Amy: I love that Amy shares honestly about her life as a mom and wife. She is also faithful to share the things God has been teaching her and I love to learn through her experiences.




Nancy: a beautifully written, insightful blog about life and lessons learned along the way.




Melissa: recognizes the beauty in people of all types. Melissa is a high school special education teacher and always has a way to be thankful for whatever comes her way.




Missy: I don't know this blogger in real life, but her blog is hilarious and makes me laugh almost daily! Missy writes incredibly well and you'll enjoy her humor and candor.




#3 Say thank you to the person who awarded you.


Thanks Kristi! I have missed spending time with you since we moved, but love to keep up with you through your blog. You have such creative ideas and you inspire me to enjoy motherhood to the fullest!




#4 Share seven things about yourself.


1. I make the bed every single night before getting in. Even if it is just before I crawl into bed - and even if I have to kick my husband out of it to straighten the covers before I crawl in.


2. Since my birthday is on Christmas day, I always end up cooking a huge meal for everyone. To be precise, I always cook a standing rib roast with yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, corn, applesauce, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top! A good birthday dinner, but a lot of work!


3. My dream job as a child was to be a wife and mother. I am living the dream.


4. Can honestly say that my husband is my absolute favorite person in the world, my best friend and my pastor.


5. I NEVER wanted to be a homeschooler, but now think it's one of the best decisions we've ever made. I wouldn't trade it for anything!


6. I really don't mind most housework, but I loathe cleaning the bathrooms. That's the first chore I trained my children to do!


7. My husband and I paid for a hot air balloon ride 18 months ago and have yet to get in the air. I'm beginning to wonder if we ever will.

A special day!!

My sweet girl was baptized yesterday. Can I just say that I am one proud Mama?!!

This is not new territory to me. Both of my older boys have confessed Jesus as Lord and were baptized. In fact, our oldest was my husband's very first baptism in our church.

But each time there is something different and special. This time there were several hi-lights for me. I loved walking into church with Abby's hand in mine. I asked if she was excited and she replied, "I'm even more excited than you are!" Which is as it should be. My heart thrilled as I got her into the baptism robe and watched her dance around with the other two children getting baptized. It was a blessing to see a man that we love take both of the girls on his lap and let them muss his hair, play with his face and generally get their giggles out as they waited for the appointed time.

But, without a shadow of a doubt, the most special moment is this:

Seeing my amazing husband accept the privilege of baptizing our only daughter. To see the fruit of his diligence in training and teaching our children. And to see our daughter understand her need of a Savior and to trust Jesus with her life. Yes, this Mama is pretty ecstatic. I couldn't ask for better validation in this mothering career!